Description
This Healthy Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake is a moist, rich, and naturally sweetened dessert made with wholesome ingredients like mashed sweet potato, almond butter, and pure maple syrup. It’s gluten-free and can be made dairy-free with a coconut milk-based ganache topping, perfect for a nourishing treat that satisfies chocolate cravings without the guilt.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 cup unsweetened almond butter
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Up to 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Sweet Potato: Wrap the sweet potato in a wet paper towel and microwave for 5 minutes. Flip and microwave another 5 minutes. If not soft enough, microwave an additional 3-5 minutes until very soft. Alternatively, boil or roast the sweet potato until tender. Allow it to cool completely to make peeling easier and to avoid cooking the eggs in the batter.
- Mash the Sweet Potato: Remove and discard the skin. Mash the sweet potato until creamy and measure out 1 cup.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square or round cake pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine mashed sweet potato, almond butter, eggs, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Mix until a thick sticky mixture forms. If almond butter is chilled, microwave for 20-30 seconds until soft before mixing.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add cocoa powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon (if using), and sea salt to the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly until a thick cake batter forms. Fold in chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake the Cake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack for 28 minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads between 190 and 205 degrees F or a toothpick comes out clean.
- Make the Ganache: While the cake bakes, combine chocolate chips, coconut milk, coconut oil (or butter), and a pinch of sea salt in a bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each until fully melted (about 60 seconds total).
- Frost the Cake: Pour the warm ganache evenly over the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Spread gently. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature to let the ganache set. Refrigerate to chill and firm up the ganache faster.
- Serve: Slice the cake into pieces and enjoy.
Notes
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- You can freeze the cake in a freezer or zip lock bag for up to 3 months.
- Nutrition facts are calculated for the cake only, without ganache topping.
- Use half & half or heavy cream instead of coconut milk if dairy is acceptable.
- Microwaving the almond butter softens it for easier mixing if kept in a cool environment.
- If you prefer, you can roast the sweet potato in the oven rather than microwaving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cake)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
